Ruben says recovery is the key ahead of Arsenal
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has stressed the importance of recovery during his press conference to preview Sunday’s Premier League match against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese sat down with reporters following Thursday’s Europa League draw with Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, answering questions about injuries, the squad’s fitness, goalscoring and this weekend’s challenge at the Theatre of Dreams. You can watch the video, and read every word, below…
With team news, any chance that Harry Maguire or Manuel Ugarte can make Sunday to face Arsenal?
“I don’t know, I don’t know. We need to survive Sunday. The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes. We have to prepare for Sunday and then think about this important game in our season on Thursday [the second leg against Real Sociedad] but, in this moment, I don’t know.”
You mentioned Rasmus Hojlund, for example, Chido Obi couldn’t play in this game. Is he someone you could think about potentially starting on Sunday?
“Everybody can start. If they are training tomorrow [Friday], if they played today [Thursday], they can be ready. Chido is on the list, so he can play.”
You mentioned about the team being a bit anxious to score goals. What can you do in the time you are training to kind of ease this anxiousness? What can you do on and off the pitch to solve this?
“You just have to sell them the idea these movements that we did sometimes today. We have to work on and show the image but, in the end, they have to score. If they score one, it’s going to be so much easier so he needs to score the first one.”
Are you expecting to have anyone back available for this match?
“I don’t know, I don’t think so, so we’ll see.”
With team news, any chance that Harry Maguire or Manuel Ugarte can make Sunday to face Arsenal?
“I don’t know, I don’t know. We need to survive Sunday. The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes. We have to prepare for Sunday and then think about this important game in our season on Thursday [the second leg against Real Sociedad] but, in this moment, I don’t know.”
You mentioned Rasmus Hojlund, for example, Chido Obi couldn’t play in this game. Is he someone you could think about potentially starting on Sunday?
“Everybody can start. If they are training tomorrow [Friday], if they played today [Thursday], they can be ready. Chido is on the list, so he can play.”
You mentioned about the team being a bit anxious to score goals. What can you do in the time you are training to kind of ease this anxiousness? What can you do on and off the pitch to solve this?
“You just have to sell them the idea these movements that we did sometimes today. We have to work on and show the image but, in the end, they have to score. If they score one, it’s going to be so much easier so he needs to score the first one.”
Are you expecting to have anyone back available for this match?
“I don’t know, I don’t think so, so we’ll see.”
Press conference v Arsenal Video
Press conference v Arsenal
Press conference | Ruben is asked about injuries, goalscoring, the right to protest and Sunday’s match against Arsenal…
Have you ever had to deal with such issues in your career? I mean, you obviously had to play the second half against Ipswich with 10 men, you had 120 minutes at the weekend and then you’ve had to come here. Have you ever had to experience anything like this?
“I will be ready for everything after this season so it’s a good thing.”
I’m not sure if you’re aware, there’s quite a big protest planned around the game on Sunday. Obviously, you’ve had to already deal with a quite a lot of turmoil at the club. Do the things that are happening outside the club, like a protest before a big game against Arsenal, make your job more difficult do you think?
“No, I think for everybody in our club it’s a really tough moment. It’s everything at the same time. The only thing I can do and our players can do is perform well and win. People have the right to protest, I think it’s a good thing to do that. It’s part of our club, everyone has a voice. But our job, in my job, is to just improve the team, give them something in the moment because they [the fans] deserve it and they are amazing. So we will see on Sunday and on Thursday.”
After tonight and the game against Fulham, is this the worst fixture you could have at this moment in time and is it just about getting through it?
“Yeah, any fixture. In the Premier League, every game is really important. In our moment, we need to win. It’s always a problem when we don’t win so we have to focus on everything at the same time. I think the biggest problem is to not have all of the players because, in the beginning, people talk about our rotation - especially in Europe, we are changing all the time. It’s because of this because it’s really hard and the Europa League is so much harder, in my opinion, than the Champions League. Not the games but the recovery to play Premier League on the weekend, so we have to deal with that.”
“I will be ready for everything after this season so it’s a good thing.”
I’m not sure if you’re aware, there’s quite a big protest planned around the game on Sunday. Obviously, you’ve had to already deal with a quite a lot of turmoil at the club. Do the things that are happening outside the club, like a protest before a big game against Arsenal, make your job more difficult do you think?
“No, I think for everybody in our club it’s a really tough moment. It’s everything at the same time. The only thing I can do and our players can do is perform well and win. People have the right to protest, I think it’s a good thing to do that. It’s part of our club, everyone has a voice. But our job, in my job, is to just improve the team, give them something in the moment because they [the fans] deserve it and they are amazing. So we will see on Sunday and on Thursday.”
After tonight and the game against Fulham, is this the worst fixture you could have at this moment in time and is it just about getting through it?
“Yeah, any fixture. In the Premier League, every game is really important. In our moment, we need to win. It’s always a problem when we don’t win so we have to focus on everything at the same time. I think the biggest problem is to not have all of the players because, in the beginning, people talk about our rotation - especially in Europe, we are changing all the time. It’s because of this because it’s really hard and the Europa League is so much harder, in my opinion, than the Champions League. Not the games but the recovery to play Premier League on the weekend, so we have to deal with that.”
The problem you’ve got is that because you’ve got such a big game on Thursday, you don’t want to drain all the players…
“Yeah, one thing at a time. We’ll think about Sunday and then we’ll see.”
I think we asked you about two weeks ago about Mason Mount and Luke Shaw. Do you think we’ll see them again this season and are there any other players, apart from Lisandro Martinez and Amad, who you think we won’t see again this season?
“No, no, I think it’s just Amad. Even Amad, we’ll see in the end of the last month. I don’t want to say anything to you but I have the hope to have Amad before, we’ll see. Lisandro is out, Kobbie [Mainoo] can return. The rest, my worry is we have to be careful. Manu [Ugarte] will return, I think Luke Shaw and Mason Mount can return also. We’ll see.”
If you reach the Europa League final, hopefully we’ll see Amad possibly in Bilbao?
“Let’s talk about Sunday! We’ll see but they definitely are going to return, especially Mason Mount.”
“Yeah, one thing at a time. We’ll think about Sunday and then we’ll see.”
I think we asked you about two weeks ago about Mason Mount and Luke Shaw. Do you think we’ll see them again this season and are there any other players, apart from Lisandro Martinez and Amad, who you think we won’t see again this season?
“No, no, I think it’s just Amad. Even Amad, we’ll see in the end of the last month. I don’t want to say anything to you but I have the hope to have Amad before, we’ll see. Lisandro is out, Kobbie [Mainoo] can return. The rest, my worry is we have to be careful. Manu [Ugarte] will return, I think Luke Shaw and Mason Mount can return also. We’ll see.”
If you reach the Europa League final, hopefully we’ll see Amad possibly in Bilbao?
“Let’s talk about Sunday! We’ll see but they definitely are going to return, especially Mason Mount.”
Is there any way at all you can rotate and freshen up for Sunday? Because obviously Thursday is such a big game, it takes priority over Sunday.
“Yeah but, when you are in this kind of club, you cannot think like that with a small squad in this moment. So we are trying to see all the players that are fresh and that are not in danger of getting an injury. Even that, we have to risk a little bit but we have to be competitive on Sunday.”
On Mikel Arteta, he had to deal with some big players at Arsenal who he had to get out of the club and he had to make some big decisions. He’s made Arsenal a big force again. Do you see some similarities with what you’ve got at Manchester United in the way you’re having to go about the job?
“I don’t feel that. Again, I will not have the time that Arteta has. I feel that. It’s a different club, so we just need to survive the players on Sunday and me during these games. I think it’s a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that, is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had.”
“Yeah but, when you are in this kind of club, you cannot think like that with a small squad in this moment. So we are trying to see all the players that are fresh and that are not in danger of getting an injury. Even that, we have to risk a little bit but we have to be competitive on Sunday.”
On Mikel Arteta, he had to deal with some big players at Arsenal who he had to get out of the club and he had to make some big decisions. He’s made Arsenal a big force again. Do you see some similarities with what you’ve got at Manchester United in the way you’re having to go about the job?
“I don’t feel that. Again, I will not have the time that Arteta has. I feel that. It’s a different club, so we just need to survive the players on Sunday and me during these games. I think it’s a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that, is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had.”
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